Honolulu Jane Doe Show Notes

When an older woman was found unhoused in Honolulu’s Ala Moana Park in 2004, it’s clear from the start that she needed help. Taken into hospital care, she was diagnosed with both dementia and schizophrenia. She had no identification on her, but does at times say her name is Ah or Pansy. These names do not match any missing persons reports, and she dies in 2013 still without her name.

In this episode we talk about what we know about this woman and also why more information isn’t publicly available about her. We dive into privacy protections, what happens when you end up in the hospital without an ID, and what challenges people face receiving care and support if they stay unidentified long term.

At the end, we’re joined by award-winning mystery writer Louise Penny who will read Aimee’s poem written in honor of Ah, “A Painting of the Body.” We also announce the launch of our Patreon which includes exclusive content such as our book club, starting with Louise Penny’s first book in the Inspector Gamache series, Still Life.

People and Cases Mentioned in this Episode:

Ah, Pansy, Honolulu Jane Doe (unsolved unidentified person)
unidentified woman found in Houston (unsolved unidentified living person)
unidentified woman found in Newark, NJ (unsolved unidentified living person)
unidentified woman found in Ellis County, Oklahoma (unsolved unidentified living person)
unidentified infant girl found in Lomax, IL (unsolved unidentified living person)
unidentified woman found in Michigan (unsolved unidentified living person)

Full Transcript

Guest reader for "Painting of the Body"

Louise Penny

LOUISE PENNY is the #1 New York Times and Globe and Mail bestselling author of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels. She has won numerous

awards, including a CWA Dagger and the Agatha Award (five times) and was a finalist for the Edgar Award for Best Novel. She lives in a small village south of Montréal. Her books have recently been turned in to the

mystery television series Three Pines starring Alfred Molina on Amazon Prime.

www.louisepenny.com

Sources

Episode 4: Honolulu

Abram, Susan. “How Hospital ER Sleuths Race to Identify an Unconscious or Dazed Jane or John Doe.” NPR, May 7, 2019.

Carollo, Kim. “Hospital Patient Unidentified for Four Months.” ABC News, December 13, 2010.

Ng, Christine. “Dozens of People Live as ‘John Doe,’ Not Knowing Who They Are.” ABC News, November 16, 2012.

Schlikerman, Becky. 2012. LIVING A LIFE UNKNOWN: DOZENS OF JOHN, JANE DOES TURN UP YEARLY AT ILLINOIS POLICE STATIONS AND HOSPITALS. MOST ARE IDENTIFIED. THESE 5 WEREN'T. Chicago Tribune, Feb 21, 2012.

Tastad, K., J. Koh, D. Goodridge, J. Stempien, and T. Oyedokun. “P019: What Happens to John Doe? Unidentified Patients in the Emergency Department: a Retrospective Chart Review.” Canadian Journal of Emergency Medicine 22, no. S1 (2020): S71–S71. https://doi.org/10.1017/cem.2020.227.

Too many ‘John does?’ tighten processes for unidentified patients. 2017. Hospital Access Management 36, (11) (11), http://webdb.outside.plattsburgh.edu:2048/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/trade-journals/too-many-john-does-tighten-processes-unidentified/docview/1982784068/se-2 (accessed August 11, 2023).

Honolulu Jane Doe Show Notes